Forget the Holiday Parties, Employees Just Want the Bonuses — Survey of the Day

While holiday parties are thought to bring on the holiday cheer in employees, a new survey indicates they’d be a lot happier skipping the revelries and pocketing the cash equivalent instead.

When Harris Interactive and the business site Glassdoor asked 2,500 American adults to list their favorite holiday gifts from employers, nearly three-quarters of respondents listed a cash bonus at the top. That was followed by 62 percent who wanted a bump in annual pay, 32 percent who wanted extra paid time off and 23 percent who wanted grocery gift cards.

Other popular choices included permission to work from home for a year, company stock/shares, a health care subsidy and a gym membership. Oh, and that holiday party? Way at the bottom. Only 4 percent wanted one, even if it has an open bar.

In a press release, Glassdoor’s career and workplace expert Rusty Rueff said the strong desire for monetary rewards reflects the hard economic times we’re all facing, adding, “It may not be sexy, but even a nominal amount, a gas or gift card, or an extra day off that an employee can use at their discretion to compensate for the extra hours they have been putting in will likely go much farther in boosting morale than a holiday party.”